Key neuro terms- revision Flashcards
What is muscle tone?
The normal resistance felt when moving a limb/body part through ROM
What is hypertonia?
Increased muscle tone
Increased resistance to stretch so the limb is more difficult to move it through ROM
What is hypotonia?
Decreased muscle tone
Limb/body part feels heavy, easier to move but reduced strength
What is an upper motor neurone lesion?
UMN occur in the central nervous system affecting the (motor) tracts from the brain
What are examples of positive deficits of upper motor neurone lesions?
(exaggerated features)
Spasticity, spasms, clonus, positive babinski sign
What are examples of negative features of upper motor neurone lesions?
(loss reduction in activity)
Weakness, fatiguability, loss of fine motor skills, hypotonia
What is muscle spasticity?
It is altered sensory-motor control causing intermittent or sustained involuntary activation of muscles
Velocity-dependent
What are the symptoms of a stroke?
Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg especially on one side of the body
Sudden confusion
Dysphagia
Dysphasia (struggling to speak)
Dysarthria (slurred)
Sudden trouble seeing
Sudden severe headache
Dizziness and loss of balance and coordination
What are the different types of stroke?
Ischaemic stroke- blockage in the brain
Haemorrhagic stroke- an artery n the brain leaks blood or ruptures
Transient ischemic attack- mini stroke, blood flow to brain is blocked only for a short amount of time
Difference between a thrombosis and embolic events
Thrombosis is when a blood clot forms in a blood vessel
Embolism is when a blood clot moves from one location to another in the body
How do anterior strokes usually present?
Anterior strokes impact the carotid artery system at the front of the brain and its branches anterior and middle cerebral arteries
Commonly present unilaterally
Examples of ischaemic strokes
Total anterior circulation stroke (TACS)
Partial anterior circulation stroke (PACS)
Posterior circulation syndrome (POCS)
What is a TACS? And how does it present?
- A total anterior circulation stroke
Unilateral weakness (and/or sesnory deficit of the face, arm and leg
Homonymous hemianopia
Higher cerebral function e.g Dysphasia, visuospatial disorder
(all three need to be present)
What is a PACS? Which circulation has been compromised? How does it present?
- Partial anterior circulation stroke
- Only part of the anterior circulation has been compromised
Unilateral weakness (and/or sensory deficit) of the face, arm and leg
Homonymous hemianopia
Higher cerebral function (e.g Dysphasia and visuospatial disorder)
(2 need to be present for this diagnosis or higher cerebral function alone- bamford classification)
What is homonymous hemianopia?
a visual field defect that causes loss of vision in one half of the visual field in both eyes. Affects either the left or right side of both eyes
What is a POCS? Which circulation is damaged? How does it present?
not included in exam
- Posterior circulation syndrome
- Damage to the area of the brain supplied by the posterior circulation
One of the following needs to be present: - Bilateral motor/sensory deficit
- Cerebellar dysfunction (vertigo, nystagmus, ataxia
Isolated homonymous hemianopia
Cranial nerve palsy
What is Isolated homonymous hemianopia?
Is homonymous hemianopia that only affects one eye
What is the Circle of Willis composed of?
3 cerebral
2 communicating arteries
That link the internal carotid arteries and the vertebrobasilar systm
What does the internal carotid arteries supply?
Most of the forebrain (anterior)
What is the vertebrobasilar system composed of? And what does it supply?
Two vertebral arteries
One basilar
Supplies the occipital lobe, brainstem and cerebellum
What is the anterior cerebral circulation composed of?
Anterior communicating artery
The middle cerebral arteries
What is the posterior cerebral circulation made up of?
Vertebral arteries, basilar artery, posterior cerebral arteries, posterior communicating arteries
What do the posterior cerebral arteries supple?
Occipital lobe
Midbrain
Thalamus
Inferior temporal lobes
What do the anterior cerebral arteries supply?
Frontal lobe
Parietal lobe
Corpus callosum
What is the function of the cerebellum?
Coordination
Balance
Regulates posture and tone
What is the function of the Occipital lobe?
Vision associated area
What is the function of the parietal lobe?
Processes sensory info e.g touch, pain, pressure, taste in the somatosensory cortex
Object recognition
What is the function of the frontal lobe?
Motor function (in motor cortex)
Production of speech (broca’s)
Personality, mood (pre-frontal cortex)
What is the function of the temporal lobe?
Interprets speech (wernicke’s)
Receives auditory info and involved in the perception of it
Facial recognition
What is the function of the brainstem?
Cardiovascular centre
Respiratory centre
Subconscious movement
What is the function of the thalamus?
Regulates alertness and consciousness.
Involved in learning, memory and sleep
Why does the right side of the brain control left side of body and vice versa?
Because some ascending and descending tracts cross over in the spinal cord or brain stem
What are the SITS muscles and what is there function?
Supraspinatus - abduction
Infraspinatus - external rotation
Teres minor - external rotation
Subscapularis - internal rotation
To stabilise the shoulder
What is the function of the levator scapulae?
Elevate the scapula
What is the function of the deltoid?
Stabilise the shoulder and prevent subluxation
Shoulder abduction
What is the function of the trapezius?
Scapula elevation
Retracts scapula
What is the function of the serratus anterior?
Largely responsibly for protraction of the scapula
What is the function of the rhomboids?
Retract, elevate, and rotate the scapula
What is the main function of the latissimus dorsi?
Adduct
Depress the scapula
What are examples of hemorrhagic strokes?
Subarachnoid hemorrhage- bleed in the arachnoid space
Intercerebral hemorrhage- bleeding occurs directly in the brain tissue
What do the interossei of the hand do?
Finger adduction and abduction
What do the lumbricals of the hand do?
Flex/extend e.g for grip
What is the pathway for light touch?
Mechanoreceptors in the skin
Carried to the brain by the dorsal column-medial leminscus pathway
Processed in the somatosensory cortex
What is the pathway for pain?
Nociceptors in the skin
Carried to the brain in the spinothalamic tract
Processed in the somatosensory cortex
What is central post stroke pain and what are the signs and symptoms?
A form of nerve pain that occurs in 1 in 10 people about 3 to 6 months post stroke.
- Occurs in areas of your body that have been affected by the stroke
- Can come on suddenly or it can be a response to a stimulus such as stress, movement or temperature
- Can feel like Shooting, pins and needles, burning, stabbing
Management of central post stroke pain
Medicines: antidepressant which can be effective for neuropathic pain
Physio: Referral for CBT, pain management programmes, education, exercise, group exercise classes.
